14 Secret Landscaper Tips and Tricks

Use a tarp to move lightweight bulky debris like leaves, weeds, and even brush. Use it to hold soil when digging a hole, to keep the grass clean. Use it to cover plants in the back of the truck when driving home from the nursery.

Landscape fabric is most useful under gravel or mulch walkways to keep the material from sinking into the soil. Skip the weed barrier fabric in planted areas. It only provides a short-term sense of accomplishment until the weeds start growing in the mulch on top of the fabric.

Make a natural edge around beds instead of buying plastic or metal edging. Edging is useful to give a particular look to the landscape. However,a natural edge allows for easier maintenance over the long term and provides more flexibility for changes to the landscape.

Use a starter fertilizer whenever you plant anything. Starter fertilizers can provide a tremendous boost to new plantings. The best products have low nitrogen, a bit more phosphorous, and most importantly mycorrhizae-beneficial fungi that help to greatly increase the soil area from which plant roots draw their sustenance. A good starter fertilizer combined with good planting technique is an awesome insurance policy.